”Shibui beauty, as in the beauty of the tea ceremony, is beauty that makes an artist of the viewer.”
Editor-in-Chief of the US home magazine House Beautiful, Elizabeth Gordon, described Shibui as such in 1960. Shibui is both an aesthetic term and the name of Søren Refsgaard’s new lamp collection.
He grew up with Le Klint’s lamps, and with his new Shibui collection, Refsgaard aims to use the Le Klint DNA to create something new and unique. Fascinated by the classic look of rice-paper lamps, he got to work and created the lovely Shibui collection.
The lamps have the distinct whimsical glow and atmospheric expression we know and love from conventional paper lamps—but the dark metal ring at the base of the lamp breaks with the traditional expression, bringing to mind Japanese lanterns and rice-paper lamps.
Another thing that stood out to Søren Refsgaard was how simple the Le Klint lamps looked from afar, but how strong and complex they seemed the minute he looked closer at their pleats—and this is where Søren Refsgaard found inspiration for the collection’s name.
Shibui is a Japanese word that can be described as an aesthetic where the complex is hidden in the simple.
Shibui objects appear simple at first glance but often contain understated details that balance their simplicity and complexity. This balance means that Shibui objects remain interesting as the viewer can find a new meaning with every observation.
With the Shibui collection from Le Klint and Søren Refsgaard, we hope to make you the artist viewing these stunning lamps.
Find the stunning Shibui family here